Cara (65) 5 guys drinking coffee

You should have seen me. It was like being back at number 1 again as far as nerves went. It's been far too long.  I walked past and thought how great they all looked and I really should get their picture but I was too nervous to ask. And they were all deep in conversation in a different language. I walked past them and killed some time reading a review posted in the doorway of the cafe. Still too chicken. Walked another 10 metres and had another internal debate. You always remember the photos you don't take, don't you? I knew it was difficult light so took some test shots into a similar shaded shop front and then went up to them with a big smile. I made eye contact with the one who was wearing normal glasses and he said no problem. I explained that they were for a blog but I don't think they were particularly interested in it.

Five guys in total but I couldn't get them all in one shot because of the car behind me. Could have done with a fish-eye!
I think two big mistakes were that firstly I took only 3 photos and secondly they were all from this boring standing angle! (Have I not learned anything??) I should have got right up close, knelt down on the ground, taken shots of them individually.... but I was on a narrow, busy footpath and I was worried about disturbing them for too long.

Cara (064) Josiah

 

I'm dipping into my BDP blog for this one although the post was in black and white; this is the original. He was, as Ann pointed out at the time, a "chugger"; a charity mugger. One of those clipboard-weilding super-friendly folk you find on the street who get you to part with your money on a regular basis by signing you up for direct debits straight to the charity from your bank account. In Brisbane (compared to London) there aren't that many and they aren't as pushy. They don't even wear hi-vis vests. I didn't even realise he was a chugger until the very end. We had a good chat and he even asked me to take his picture cos I had my camera hanging around my neck. I love it when people ask.

Cara (063) Eva



Beautiful Eva with her husky Spanish accent, travelling Aceh independently.

Cara (062) Yvon

What a character. Yvon and his partner are from Brittany in France and just prior to me meeting them had travelled across West and North Africa in a 2CV van. You can imagine the funny stories. They were half way through their 18 month travels with Nepal and Thailand still to go WOW I was so jealous. My lasting memory of him is starting a chant ("Allez Mary! Allez Mary!) to encourage my daughter to get over her shyness and wish the restaurant owner a happy Id Ul Fitr in Indonesian - in return for the lollipop she had been eyeing for about half an hour. After such unyeilding support, she uncharacteristically caved into the pressure, recited it perfectly and got her reward.

Cara (061) Carol

Carol, from Cork in Ireland, was taking time out from her never ending medical degree to travel Asia by herself. She's a great story teller and, from our experience, quite accident prone. Even with the life jacket on, coming away from a gentle snorkelling session in calm waters with all sorts of cuts and bruises after scraping herself on some coral and then getting out at the wrong spot and having to hack her way through the rainforest. Luckily, as with her other adventures, she always saw the funny side.

Cara (060) Babysitting

I didn't get their names - the older girl didn't speak any English but she understood the photo request and gave a modest head tilt in permission.

It's another instance where I really could have done with auto-focus - that plastic on the left is absolutely spot on! 

Better start saving.

Cara (059) Abdul Rhassad

I didn't want to get too chatty with Abdul Rhassad as he was holding a cut-throat razor to the neck of my beloved. We came to a mutual understanding whereby I took photos whilst trying to not get in his way and he went on with the business of giving the Darryl the shave of his life. It was a comprehensive treatment... including a haircut, shaving and reshaving, potions, lotions, face and neck massage... I reckon it took about an hour and cost less than $2 Australian.

all together: shave and a haircut... 2 bucks!

Cara (058) Ladies at a restaurant during Onam

Onam is the festival of Kerala. It is celebrated over the course of a couple of weeks but for me highlight was the day when people go out in all their fine clothes and after offering a banana leaf with all sorts of traditional morsels on it to King Mahabali and his wife, everyone gets stuck in themselves.

These ladies were at the restaurant where we were having our feast. They were chatting to the owner and looked a bit bewildered when I asked if it was OK to take their picture as they all looked so beautiful.

Cara (057) Shihab

Shihab was laughing at Kassim in a "you asked for it" type of way. Then Kassim suggested I take one of Shihab. He was gracious and patient, letting me sort myself (and the camera settings) out. The bottom shot was my first attempt. It looked great through the viewfinder! Actually despite it being over exposed and out of focus, I quite like it. I didn't notice the pink and the blue in the background when I took the pictures but I quite like them too.

Cara (056) Kassim

I went for a walk through the Muslim quarter of Mattancherry. Despite it being 3 weeks into Ramadan, where you would forgive folks for perhaps putting their feet up, shops were open and the streets were lively and energetic. As I walked past the aluminium works, I heard someone call out "one photo!". It was only supposed to be a joke as it's something kids often shout out to westerners so I think he was a bit embarrassed when I took him seriously. 

Cara (055) Clemency

Clemency is a mathematician from New Zealand who was traveling in Kerala for a couple of months with her young family before taking up a sabbatical in France. She had these beautiful silk clothes made up that drew appreciative glances from tourists and locals alike.

Despite the fact that I am in love with that little 50mm f1.8 lens, it doesn't do Auto-Focus on my little D40 so I have found some of my shots are a bit soft to say the least. I think it likes to be closer to the subjects.

Cara (054) Mariuppam and Jaya

 

Jaya was sitting on the steps outside a shop and when I smiled at her she smiled right back. I came over and introduced myself but with her non-existent English and my even more non-existent Malayalam, it was a tough enough job just pronouncing one another's names. A man who worked in the shop came out and attempted to translate for me. It turned out she didn't work at the shop - she lived in an alleyway next to it. The shopkeeper then called her husband over - Mariuppam - and told me how they had been married for many years but they still loved eachother like newlyweds.

After I took their pictures I offered them some money which they refused, preferring instead a piece of paper with my name written on it in my hand-writing.

Cara (053) Guys in the park (2)

Cara (052) Guys in the park (1)

I was wandering around New Farm Park last Saturday with my camera dangling around my neck when this table of 4 Aboriginal blokes jokingly called out and asked if I was going to take their picture. They were in great spirits, asking where I was from and somehow knew that I had Irish parentage. Must be the famous Gartland Charm. When I showed them the pictures I'd taken they laughed at eachother and insisted on getting a picture with Darryl, my fella, who was looking on with increasing amusement.

In all the excitement I forgot to get their names.

Cara (051) Kirsty

This was down at Christmas Creek over Easter. Kirsty was playing cards with her daughter. Because I do a book and a blog with photos of our trips there, taking pictures is sort of expected of me. I can snap away and people patiently live with it.

I don't know much at all about Kirsty ... there were over 100 people camping there over Easter and it's hard to get around to meeting everyone. Next time, I reckon. Her (gorgeous) daughter goes to the same school as mine but in a different year.

Cara (050) Defying Gravity

The Adelaide Street end of Albert Street, near Rocking Horse Records, is a hangout for those with fantastic hair and interesting piercings a la these three. I didn't get their names but they were happy for me to take their picture. Lovely, wholesome punks!
Had they been old-school punks, they probably would have trod on my camera, told me to sod off and flashed me the 2-finger salute so I feel quite happy about this one.

Cara (049) This Is Spinal Tatt...

He was about 7 or 8 rows infront of me but but by that stage all the people in our section seemed to be extremely "relaxed" so I called out and asked him to stand up and pose for me.. and he happily obliged.  It's great, what a bit of Dutch Courage will do.

Cara (047) Keri and (048) Darren

Keri and Darren were seated next to us at the cricket on Sunday. As soon as we sat down, Keri warned us she was prone to getting a bit animated which suited us down to the ground. Throughout the day they laughed hard, chanted, waved, clapped, cheered, chatted and (especially Keri) egged on other members of the crowd. You could tell they really enjoyed eachother's company. You wouldn't have guessed they'd only just got back in contact after leading seperate lives for 12 years.

On a technical note... I love my 55-200 lens but chopping and changing between that and the wider angle 18-55 gets a bit boring after a while... so I got a bit lazy here, sticking with the 55-200 on auto-focus. Which is why it's a bit out of focus.

Cara (046) Diana - not Marilyn

I'm very excited. It's been 2 years of friends telling me about "Marilyn" walking the streets of Brisbane and today I finally came across her, resting her tired feet in the Myer Centre. I told her she looked great and she thanked me with wide-eyed innocence, insisting that she wasn't Marilyn Monroe. I wanted to get a much more glamorous shot but she wanted the shoes in shot (fair enough - fantastic shoes!). Her name is Diana and is one of Brisbane's real characters.

Cara (044) Karen and (045) Jane

Karen on the left, Jane on the right. Taken at Easter this year, they were actually on their way out and I hadn't gotten round to meeting them while they were staying there... so it was a very hurried introduction, 3 snaps, nice to meet you and then they were gone.